Dystopia II: Beneath the Surface
by Terry Milien
Summary: Book 2. After kidnapping Leo, Christy has finally laid her hands on the Grimoire, proclaiming the Powers of the Underworld. Can Billie save the day or will darkness prevail? There's always more than meets the eye beneath the surface …
1. Witching Up

**DYSTOPIA  
~ A Billie Story ~  
Book**** II**  
"**Beneath the Surface"**

**Author's Note:**  
I don't really have much to say, except maybe thanks for all those who stuck with me through Part I. So, after much procrastination, and as a somewhat late two-year anniversary to the story: Part II is here.

Oh, and chapters are going to remain remotely short like for Part I until about two-third of this Part so just bear with me (they _do_ increase in length after that, though).

**xxx**

**Story's Overview:**  
After kidnapping Leo, Christy has finally laid her hands on the _Grimoire_, proclaiming the Powers of the Underworld. Can Billie save the day or will darkness prevail? There's always more than meets the eye Beneath the Surface …

**xxx**

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own _Charmed_¸ yadda, yadda, yadda: don't sue me.

**xxx**

**All Chapters: **(Unless stated otherwise)  
Written By: **Me (Terry)**  
Edited By: **Abby**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One: Witching Up**

**Synopsis:**  
A strange villager falls prey to the ill weather. A mysterious someone comes to their help.

* * *

The morning mist that took over the surrounding of the lake in the valley was all around him as he sailed his way across the dull, idle waters.

Amos looked up; he could barely make out the snow-covered mountain tops with all the fog. Thank God the snow did not reach here! True, he was sometimes afraid of avalanches because then the entire village would be condemned, but the white blanket was better off up there than down here in his opinion.

He already had to deal with the bitterness of the wind and the dampness of the mist; his old bones would never stand the snow.

As his pale blue eyes stayed still on the closest hill top, thunder broke out and a lightning bolt struck. Amos covered his eyes and stumbled onto the boat, making it turn over.

*

For an uncertain amount of time, Amos lay unconscious on the shore, his clothes not drying for all the sun's useless attempts to pierce the foggy clouds and deter the water still gathering around his lower body.

A noise woke him up and he covered his stinging eyes with his arm. He coughed, releasing some of the foul water he had swallowed. Then he heard it again – someone was running but their course was constantly interrupted by their falling upon the shingle beach.

"H-help," he croaked in a hoarse voice he did not recognize as his own.

"Hello?" he heard a broken, feminine voice reply. "Who's there?"

She stumbled to her knees again and he could only utter a weak "Help me."

The next time he heard her crash on the pebbles, he started at her proximity; she had just dropped at his side.

"God, what happened to you?" she sounded weary and despite the obviously heavy burden on her shoulders, he could feel she really was concerned about him. She stood up and dragged him out of the water then got back to his side.

"M'eyes – hurt," he managed to tell her. Next second he was wrestling with her to keep his protective arms over his eyes while the stranger tried to take them away and have a look.

After a while she added her second hand in the battle and he felt something icky, sticky, yet warm, falling on his neck.

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly, taking her second hand back away, "but you need to let me see them or I won't be able to help you!" Amos obliged but he could not bear to keep his eyes open. "Oh God, you're blind!"

* * *

**A/N:**  
There, I hope you were seriously expecting me to be done with the cliffies :-)  
Also, you probably hate me and want to kill me for not showing right away what happened after Christy's power-boost but you know... don't or you'll never know :-D  
Until next time!


	2. Do You Believe In Magic?

**Chapter Two: Do You Believe in Magic?**

**Synopsis:  
**Amos discovers a horrible truth that has befallen him. Will he put his troubles aside to help the woman who has stopped to help him?

**

* * *

**"You're blind!" The words echoed in his mind endlessly, repeatedly, adding to the headache and nausea he already was victim to.

"Wha'? I'm no' blind, yeh idiot!" He opened his eyes. Yet except for the silhouette hovering before him, he could not make out the weary traits, the hurt brown eyes, and the sweating brown hair of Phoebe Halliwell.

"Nooo!" he pleaded, bringing his still-damp hands over his face.

"No, listen to me!" Phoebe said, grabbing and parting his hands again. The warm and sticky fluid dripped on his neck once more. "We can't stay here. There's _something_ in the mountains that wants to kill me, and they're gonna kill you too if they know that you met me."

Amos could sense her frightened tone; he didn't know how, but he could make so much more out of her words than what the words themselves conveyed. He fright, her pain, the heavy burden on her shoulders all came crashing down on him as though his mind had opened a floodgate and the woman's distress and terror were rushing into him. He decided his loss was nothing compared to the life of this sensitive, caring person who, despite her own misery, had stopped to check on him. After all, he didn't need his eyes to fish. He straightened up and said in his coarse voice, "Then yeh'll come with me to me place. It's no' much but yeh'll have somethin' ter eat an' drink an' rest an' rec–"

"Haven't you listened to what I just said?" she cut him off, harsh and panic-stricken. "This _thing_, they'll not mind whether they need to kill a man or burn down a house to get to me – they'll do it right away!"

"Ugh! Mafia guys can be tough but me grandma's charms as well – if yeh believe enough in 'em, tha' is. D'yeh believe in magic, miss –?"

Phoebe was dumbstruck. Charms … magic … did _she_ believe in magic? What kind of joke was Destiny playing on her?

"Miss?"

Phoebe jerked out of her reverie and looked down at the blind man. She knew there weren't such things as coincidences in the life of a Charmed One, but still, this one was a miracle, if a suspicious one. She smiled slightly. "Excuse me, I'm Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell, and I do believe in magic – I'm a witch actually."

What was making her spill it all out to a stranger's face she had no idea, but this was her only chance to know what this all meant … and maybe even to survive. She saw the stranger's face light up as he responded, "Amos, Amos Hosea, yours truly."

She put an arm under his armpit to help him up. "Nice to meet you, Amos Hosea."

"Pleasure's mine."

Together they stood up and Amos, leaning with his arms around Phoebe's shoulders, led the way. He had lived here his whole life, he had come here to the lake ever since he could walk, he knew the route by heart and his blindness would not prevent him to find the village.

* * *

**A/N:** There you go with the second chapter. So, real coincidence, or Destiny's greater scheme, huh? Review! And come back to read and find out ^^


	3. Cutting to the Chase

**Foreword.  
**If you're reading this; Thank you. It means the world to me that you would still come back after the [unspeakable] wait. But this is it. After much procrastinating, I'm finally releasing the long-written end of this story, with, as always, a few surprises along the way. I hope you enjoy and I'll see you at the end :-) I'm not gonna put any other "Author's note" along the way since I'm releasing the whole thing in one go - my thank-you/sorry gift to you. Plus I suck at deadlines so let's just put the whole thing up and be done with it :-p.

**Side-Note:  
**Yes, the chapters are as short as for the previous story, but they'll get bigger along the way. I promise. Any typo and/or mistake should be blamed on me, because it's mostly all unedited. I'll be glad to edit any you might point out, though. Also, be kind; this was written so far as almost three years ago and I like to think I most improved since then - oh, and don't read too far into some of the titles; some of them I don't even remember what the pun was supposed to be, it's been _that_ long...

* * *

**Chapter Three: Cutting to the Chase**

As they dragged each other along the shore, the closest to natural hideouts being waist-high shrubs, the old man nearly stumbled on a particularly smooth piece of rock and grabbed the first thing reachable – the witch's wrist.

A scream. A thud like a hand being pressed against a mouth.

Amos steadied himself and looked, without seeing, at Phoebe. He still had the lady's wrist in his grip and could not see the paleness of her face hidden behind her free hand.

"Yeh're bleeding," he said, nearing the woman's hand to his nose as if to smell the icky substance; he now what knew had dripped on himself earlier. "I have a few remedies tha' should help yeh, let's hurry."

Phoebe took her uninjured hand off her mouth, nodding before remembering the blindness of her companion. "It's just a scratch, really. But let's hurry alright," she said faintly.

The wound on her wrist was not what frightened her the most – she had seen worse … But had she seen worse than what was coming for her, than what was maybe right now lurking behind one of the trees, biding its time? She wasn't sure.

On they limped, the best they could. They nearly tripped once more but with no shouts from any parts and soon Phoebe saw Amos's home village hovering in the dissolving fog, in the valley at the end of the sloping path.

"Over here, lady," the stranger lowly hissed, pulling her into the trees that boarded the side of the trail. Phoebe didn't know how he had known the side path was exactly there but said nothing, after all it was normal for someone his age to know the little differences the ground offered after living all of one's life in the same place – Piper herself had known how to move around the manor when she had been hexed with blindness by a cursed monkey totem.

"We're gonna take this way to the back door of me house so nobody sees yeh and they'll all think I'm still fishin'."

Phoebe nodded once more at the explanation and was about to speak her answer when Amos said, "Alrigh' then," like replying to her untold agreement.

They reached the door to the back of the house, after checking no one was there to see them cross the clear way between the tree cover and the shack.

"In here." Amos led her into his home, even less hesitantly than out on the road. "Lemme take care of yer injury, then we'll skim through Grandma's charms, 'kay?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeh'll have to describe yer wound to me if I'm ter do a proper job, miss."

"Oh, okay," Phoebe nodded, holding her injured hand on the mahogany table. The "scratch" was quite big. "Well, it seems a little deep alright."

"Deep how?"

"Half an inch maybe?"

"I see."


	4. Grandma's Healing Skills

**Chapter Four: Grandma's Healing Skills**

She saw him rummaging through a wooden chest over the room and took a chance to have a clear view on the room – a conservatory of some kind.

The high windows were obscured by large wooden panels, tiny ray of lights breaking in by the interstices between the planks. The room itself was furnished with a few sets of shelves, the heavy mahogany table, the chest and a few chairs. Bleak and appalling when you were used to the cheerful and omniscient furniture of Halliwell Manor.

"How are you eyes?" she asked in an attempt to forget her own pain.

"Don't hur' so much no more."

Amos brought over a jar pot and a few bandages with him. Phoebe bit her lip in an attempt to retain any cry as he unscrewed the jar and poured some of the liquid it contained directly on the wound …

However her eyes widened. "It didn't sting…," she said, flabbergasted.

"Why should it?" Amos arched his eyebrows. "What good would a magical remedy be if it was more painful than the actual injury? That's good for so-called doctor's medicines. Hush!" he added briskly, stepping to a near, view-covered window.

Voices and footsteps were drawing closer so that Phoebe could hear the end of a sentence, "… here but he's out there still, I think."

"Cliff Brooks!" Amos cursed through gritted teeth.

The man called Brooks seemed to wait for an answer that never came so he spoke again. "Can I ask you, sweet lady, what it is you want with Old Stupidy Crapidy Dren? You're not in the whole junk mumbo jumbo business he does, you're not?" he sneered disdainfully.

"My business here is none of yours, old man," the 'sweet lady' answered.

"What's wrong with her voice?" Amos whispered, not seeing the fright in Phoebe's eyes.

Phoebe looked through one of the little gaps in the wooden panels to see a mane of auburn hair flashing red in the rising sun.

Christy did not so far as smile at Brooks.


	5. To Leave or Not to Leave

**Chapter Five: To Leave or Not to Leave**

"We need to leave _now_!" Phoebe hissed. She was tense as hell, staring from the window to Amos and back again. The man hooked an eyebrow at her.

"So _she's_ the demon yeh're running from, he? What's wrong with her voice then? It's all fuzzy and echoing in me head."

_He must be sensing the Source in her_, Phoebe thought,_ I need to keep an eye on this one, he really is special_. "She's no mere demon," she explained. "She's more like Demon Queen."

"Oh," Amos pondered the idea. All of a sudden he snapped out of it and turned to a set of shelves, looking through the diverse items it held, feeling his way with his fingers. He then turned to Phoebe and jerked his head towards another set on the opposite wall. "Would yeh be so kind and grab me an eagle feather, a pyrite crystal and some salt?"

"What'd you think you're doing? Amos, we can't possibly stay here with her standing on the other side of the door! She might hear us or sense us, for all I know!" Phoebe looked scared.

"Darlin', I got everything I need here to protect yeh against any evil that's on yer tail, all yeh'll need is to believe in Old Mother Madge Hosea's charms."

"That's your grandma?"

"Yeh bet, my pet. Now if yeg please?" He held out his hand toward the shelves Phoebe was supposed to look through.

Phoebe sighed. "Alright, but get everything you need packed 'cause we're not doing this here with _her_ outside."

"Alrigh', alrigh'." While he still was turned towards her, he reached for a heavy glass jar and knocked against another one that hit the shelf's board, rolled all the way to the edge and fell …

Phoebe, thunderstruck, stood motionless, staring blindingly at the piece of shiny crystal dashing its way downwards to its and Phoebe's doom.

**xxx**

She looked up to the sun, her moon, just like day was her night. She was always so full of opposite, contradictions. Bringing her eyes back down to the village, Christy cursed the fog still hovering around her. She turned to the old idiot guide then to the house.

She knew she was in the right place, she felt it. The first thing she had done when finding the village was asking whether there lived someone that did magic tricks of any kind in here. For if any Charmed One or consort was here, surely she'd be with that one person. She had learned magic attracted magic like a magnet … She was certain.

She hoped it'd be Billie.


	6. Fighting Stance

**Chapter Six: Fighting Stance**

She looked down the path Brooks had said led to the fishing lake. The man was still alive on purpose. Since she had taken in the power, she had to fight the immense force in her, trying to keep control over it. Killing the man would be as weak as surrendering herself to the Source in her.

She would kill the witches like planned, in order to protect her sister and get her back. _No, the Charmed Ones must be dealt with for revenge and for power, to rule over the World. NO! For Billie. For power. For –_

In order to battle the urge to run down to the lake and see by herself that the old Hosea guy was there, she brushed off the thoughts and reminded herself of the fight, back there.

_The fight on the mountain top. She was floating above the shattered roof of the white sanctuary. On the snow, in a half-circle, the five women stood hand in hand. She spotted Billie almost instantly, her blonde hair__ whipping all around her._

_Christy descended before the witches and they stared at one another for a moment before the new Source held out her hand invitingly towards her baby sister and spoke, "I want you, Billie."_

Shattered glass. Gasp.

Christy jerked around and dashed up to the front door that blew up into millions of particles as her eyes flashed black and she marched in.

_Not quite the witch I expected to see, but it'll do_._ That one first, though_, Christy thought, holding a hand out to the Hosea man.

Phoebe shouted, "Watch out!" jumping forward towards him but Christy waved at her with the same hand she had just used to send the fireball and the Charmed One flew back into the shelf behind her. Phoebe landed on the floor as the shelf fell over her, knocking her out.

Amos stared at the fireball almost like daring it. As the contact drew imminent, he tucked a hand in his shirt and held out a pendant clenched in his tight fist. "Protect yer servant."


	7. Shield Me

**Chapter Seven: Shield Me in My Non-Wiccan Way**

The charm still clutched tight in his hand, Amos watched without seeing the fireball wheezing his way, like daring it to approach any further. The magic occurred all too suddenly, barely a foot away from Amos; the fire sphere bounced off like from an invisible shield. It knocked into the mahogany table and set it aflame. The force field around Amos flashed and disappeared.

In the doorway, Brooks was peering in, his mouth open in a non-coming gasp. He was soon propelled forward and smacked into the set of shelves nearby Amos.

"Your fair tricks may work on lower magic, but will it stand against the real power?" Christy's voice was metallic, echoing unnaturally in the restrained room of the wooden shack. She stepped forward and, in a light motion, the force field circling Amos was reactivated, though still invisible, and even Brooks, directly standing behind it, could feel the air particles it put into motion.

_No, let the mortal be; kill the Charmed One first, while yo__u still can!_

_No, this is no mere mortal; he is a threat to my ruling. _Her eyes shone like ebony.

_Let – the man – be! Must – kill – the – witch – while – unconscious! _Brown rivulets fought their way into the blackness of the corneas.

Black won against brown in Christy's eyes and she advanced still, not caring for Phoebe, who was barely coming to her senses, or for Brooks, too busy staring at Amos's display of magic to do anything against the Source or for the fight within her. When she reached the foot-pace that isolated Amos and Brooks from the rest of the world, the magic field appeared, protesting against her intrusion, hissing and spitting blue sparks.

But Christy did not stop. On and on she went, until she, too, was behind the barrier of the protective charm. She reached her hand out for Amos's throat.

"What the hell?" Brooks looked even more puzzled at the fine lady who he just thought were a little crazy, try and kill his fellow con man. He grabbed her arm with both his hands and pulled, but without even so much as looking at him, Christy had him fly and land in the shelves again.

Amos also tried to loosen her grip on his throat but had to let go of his talisman to get a good hand on hers. The charm fell on his still-wet shirt, bringing an end to the shield's activation, and revealing its unusual shape: like a cross, but with two of the endings being joined together by a slightly curved line and one of the opposite tips being ended by a smaller, reversed replica of the big cross.


	8. The Burnt Down

**Chapter Eight: The Burnt-Down**

The fireball hit the Source in the ribs and she lost her balance, letting go of the old man's throat. All stares turned to Phoebe, her hand outstretched towards Christy's last spot. Neither did Amos or Brooks know that she had just channeled the Leader of the Underworld's powers to the risk of her life. Had she not been possessed by such powers herself before, she might have been overcome by their darkness straight away.

Still she had never channeled so great a power and so dark a mind, and that was enough to hurt her badly, what with the set of shelves she had been knocked out with. Her nose started to bleed, and she faltered, holding out her hand to steady herself with the wall.

'So all of yer gran's tricks were real?" Amos heard Brooks whisper.

He turned to the other man and saw his blank face "Now's too late ter realize how stupid yeh've been all those years, just shu' up or I'll send you into a land o' nightmares." He could hear Brooks gulp.

"Whatever happened to yer eyes?" Brooks's voice shook. But Amos did not have the time to respond.

The Source was back on her feet, and the end of the wooden shack was falling in on itself, the fire licking and burning every inch it could get to. Phoebe managed to wave her hand towards Christy, throwing her into the flames her fireball had created. The Charmed One limped her way to the men and together they made their way to the door hanging on just the one inch.

The unnatural, cold laugh of pure evil that followed them through the threshold was not enough to stop them from stepping the outside. Once in the fresh air, they turned on their heels and looked at the crumbling house. Amos was crying silently, grieving over all the goods his beloved grandmother had left him and that were now history.

The final straw brought the house completely down, lifting a cloud of dust that took over a few feet. When it finally dissipated, Christy was seen standing in the middle of the flickering flames that had destroyed Amos's abode, not the least bothered by the heat of them.

Not moving, she spoke in her metallic voice again, "I guess it's time to end the game."

"Guess again."


	9. The Power of Confusion

**Chapter Nine: The Power of Confusion**

Around them stood the witches. Piper on their right. Paige on their left. Billie right in front of her. And the other one, whoever she was, stood behind.

So they wanted to play, huh? She was willing to test the almighty Power of Three. How long would the Halliwell bitches stand face to face with the entirely unfurled powers of Hell? They would find out soon.

Christy stepped forward, not minding the flames any more than she had before.

"Where's Leo, bitch?" Piper advanced on her, her hands at the ready to strike.

"Phoebe, come behind." Billie walked to her and waved her behind herself, facing the remaining human shell of her sister. Amos and Brooks followed. "You leave these people alone."

"Or what, Billie? Are you gonna _talk_ me to death?" Her eyes flickered dangerously as a smile drew on her lips.

She felt it, the magical wave coming her way. A smooth movement, not even in her back, just there, in front of Billie, and the wave bounced back towards the unknown witch.

"Taylor, watch out!" Billie lifted her hand, too, and the wave hit the already crumbled house of Amos's.

_Taylor_. Christy's head tilted slightly. "Tell me, Billie," she said casually, her voice still hinting the metallic echo. She eyed Piper a half-second before coming back to her sister. "Did you tell your friends how it is you are still alive when you were at my mercy, back in that foul circus?"

"Billie, what does she mean?" Paige asked.

Phoebe intervened; her voice was faint from her borrowed emotions. "Guys, do not listen to her. She is just trying to play us all against Billie."

"Of course I am," Christy snickered. "Why wouldn't I be, when you know I am the one that told my demons to let her be?"

Paige looked at Billie. "You never told us that. When you explained to us what had happened to Leo –"

"Oh, that dear old Leo," Christy laughed quietly. Piper just stared at the young Jenkins.

"– you never said she had spared your life," Paige went on.

"Paige, that's exactly why she didn't tell us," Phoebe said. "She wanted to avoid a scene and have us wondering why the hell Christy would save her life."

"Tell them, Billie." Christy's tone was joyful, an evil sort of delight. "Tell them or I'll tell them myself."

Billie just glanced right into her sister's black eyes. "She wanted me on her side, that's why she wanted the _Grimoire_. Get rid of you and get me to see 'the light'."

"Sure is a _good_ thing to think of," Piper said, blank.

Christy stared at Billie. "You were right. I had to think twice. The game starts _now_." With a backwards glance of her shining black eyes – a real fire seemed to rise in them – at Taylor and a mocking smile, the Source of All Evil flamed out.


	10. Piper's Terror

**Chapter Ten: Piper's Terror**

The scene was as follows: everyone still stood on their same spot, Paige, Billie, Piper and Taylor in a circle, with Billie shielding Phoebe, Amos and Brooks, whose face was pale as death. Silence reigned all around them, as the villagers started to circle them. They dared not talk among them of what they had just seen and stood withdrawn in fear of what the strangers could do to them.

Suddenly the relative quiet was broken by Piper's shouts. "You bitch, all this is your fault!" She stepped forward and, in a half second, her hands were up in the air, ready to strike Billie. But Phoebe, just like the young blonde witch had done for her against her sister, pushed Billie in her back, shielding her from own sister.

"Phoebe, move aside. My husband is missing. Maybe –" Sshe couldn't resign herself to say the word. 'Maybe badly hurt somewhere in the frost. All that because of _her_!" She pointed out to Billie behind Phoebe's back and a boulder that was a few feet farther beyond exploded.

"Piper, enough!" Phoebe's tone was now full of warning. "You can't blame Billie for Christy's deranged mind. The girl has been raised by demons to believe our being selfish was being evil. She has known nothing else for fifteen years, nobody can blame that on Billie, and nobody can expect a sudden change as if by magic."

"Maybe that's it?" Billie's voice echoed her hopes. "Maybe magic is the way to make her see the light? After all, it's a demon's deed, like you said."

Paige shook her head. "No magic can help us reason with her now that she is the Source."

"My – husband – is – missing!" Piper's jaw was clenched tight. "Let's not discuss the bitch's poor common sense when we should be looking for him! Now she has the _Grimoire_, she has no more use for him and you kn–" She chocked on her words.

"No, Piper, I think we still have hope for him." Phoebe nodded to her own statement. "Christy knows you won't stop fighting until you get him back, she has seen you do so for a half year. She knows how much it hurts you and she won't kill him until you've suffered enough. Remember her sole purpose is to hurt us."

Piper finally broke down into tears, dropping on her knees. "Well, good job." She was breathing heavily.

"Honey!" Both Paige and Phoebe dashed and knelt to her side, taking her into their arms.

Her sobs were unbearable to her sisters' ears, "I just – got him – back."


	11. Almost Surly

**Chapter Eleven: Almost Surly**

As Phoebe sat there, trying to appease her elder sister's heartbreak, stroking her hair and shushing her with comforting sounds, Billie stood alone, willing to show her support, but afraid of the oldest Halliwell's reaction.

"You've just gotten back from the future, too," Phoebe reminded Piper, "and there you saw him and yourself old and healthy, and alive, didn't you?"

"Future – ch-changes. You – know it – as well as I – do."

"True but –"

"But what if something changed in the last three days, altering the whole outcome of the future I have seen?"

"Piper!" Phoebe's tone was once again stern. She forced Piper to look at her. "Where is the strong woman who faced Death more than is allowed to anyone else, raised two wonderful kids and became the runner of a famous nightclub, all that starting from scratch?"

Piper looked away and snuffled. "She's lost, Phoebe, she's tired, she's had en–"

"I don't want to hear that! I know you're hurt, believe me, I _do!_" Piper turned back to her. They shared a stare. Phoebe was definitely an Empath again. They kept looking at each other. "But you have to keep fighting. Your sons need their mother, your siblings need their sister, the world needs its most powerful Charmed –"

"I am not –" Piper began but Phoebe continued, "– One. And your husband needs his wife."

Piper sighed. She glanced over Phoebe's shoulder at nothing then nodded and stared back into Phoebe's eyes. "Let's go back home and pack." She stood up, wiped the tears from her eyes and brushed her jeans clean of dust. "I got a husband to find and a demon witch's ass to kick. We'll search and dig the whole world if needs be."

"That's my Piper Surly Halliwell." Phoebe smiled broadly to her joke. Piper tried to help herself but could not stop her lips from quivering.

An unfamiliar voice brought them back to reality. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige – who had tears in her eyes – turned to Amos.

"Er, ladies? Yer little blonde friend, she just took off with the other chick. Went _poof_ or somethin'."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Damn it! Can't we really vanquish her?"


	12. Christy, Mistress of the Dark

**Chapter Twelve: Christy, Mistress of the Dark**

The Source sat gracefully on her throne, her evil eyes unfocused with reverie. She was thinking, thinking of what she remembered … of what _she_ remembered. The _witch_, not her. _She_ recalled how her sister had introduced her to that Taylor girl.

"_Christy, this is Taylor, Taylor Hannigan, she's taking classes with me – well, when I do go to classes, that is." Billie laughed. "Taylor, this is Christy, my sister." She was literally beaming._

_Later, when said Taylor had gone, Christy had asked, "Is she a witch, too?"_

"_Nah, just a normal kid, I guess." Billie had been silent a moment, probably thinking about the possibility of Taylor being a witch._

" 'Just a normal kid', he?" The Source sneered, grinning. "We'll see about that." She waved her hand and a demon shimmered in the middle of the room. Instantly, he bowed at her.

"What can I do for you, Mistress Christy?"

A roar. Brushing material. Flash of light. The demon was propelled into the wall beyond, the Source was on her feet, her hand still outstretched after hurling her fireball. "Don't – ever – call me – that – again," she ordered the demon as he crawled his way back in the lair. "From now on, I will go by 'Hecate', 'My Lady' or 'Mistress'. Don't forget to tell the others."

"Y-yes, m-my Lady," stuttered the demon.

The Source sat back, playing around with a new fireball.

"You will search for any piece of information you might find on that Taylor chick, the witch that teams up with Billie Jenkins." The demon gulped. She glanced angrily at him over her bouncing fireball. "Is there a problem?"

"Not any, Mistress, not any."

"Then what are you still doing there, you filthy little piece of dung!" She threw the fireball, with the only intent to make him flee; which he did, shimmering away.

Afterwards, she summoned the _Grimoire_, thinking about the Amos bloke. She had to gather everything she could about him, he wasn't just a mere human either, that she knew.

**xxx**

A cupboard door opened, revealing a mirror, inside which Billie's smiling visage was reflected immediately. She used both her hands to push her hair back a little, cocking an eyebrow at herself, sighing, probably thinking about how much fun she was about to have.

"Come on, B, hurry!" came Taylor's urging, excited voice from behind.

Grabbing an athamé from under a pile of folded towels, she slipped it into her boot and turned to face her friend, waiting expectantly at the door. Seeing the blonde was ready, Taylor grabbed the door handle.

Billie frowned, "What are you doing?"

Taylor frowned back, "Opening the door, huh."

Billie stared, "I can see that." Shaking her head softly, "But you don't reach the Underworld by feet."

Taylor's jaw dropped and Billie laughed, leaning forward to catch her hand.


	13. Circled

**Chapter Thirteen: Circled**

They were running through the Underworld, their hair – blonde for one, light brown for the other – rebounding savagely behind them in their flight for dear life.

"If we die, I'll never forgive you this," Taylor said, panting, a stitch slowly developing in her rib.

"Save your saliva, you'll need it to run faster." Billie ducked in time to avoid a fireball coming their way.

"Yeah, _you_ better die before _I_ kill you!" said Taylor angrily, coming to a sudden halt. She abruptly turned round and lifted her hands up, sending a sonic wave to their opponents.

Upon impact, the demons dissolved so to speak; there was an explosion, creating a deflagration like that of Saturn's rings.

"Cool." Taylor smiled at her own prowess but soon was tugged backwards by Billie.

"Running now, bragging later."

Together they resumed their fleeing but as they entered a large circular room, they found themselves surrounded by a complete set of demons; Grimlocks, Harpies, Vultures, Brutes, so many different species that Taylor had no inkling at while Billie had only learned about in the Halliwells' _Book of Shadows_.

The witches held themselves back to back, slowly revolving to try and face all the demons at once, demons that were closing in on them as it was.

"This is your absolute – complete – utter fault!" Taylor cursed.

"Like you weren't all cheerleader-happy to come along!" Billie retorted.

"We're so screwed." Taylor sighed. "You think we might cast a spell to go back home?"

"Sure, hope you're quick enough to cast one short enough before they throw themselves at us and tear your throats open."

"Which they'll do even if I don't try, so. Why can't you just freeze them, damn it!"

"Wrong call. That's Piper's trick, and I doubt she'll be that glad to give us a hand."

"Talk about me like that again, and I sure might blow _you_ up instead of the demons."

Three shafts of white-blue orbs appeared between them and the demons, gradually taking the shape of the three Charmed Ones. Piper cast a glance at Billie before she turned to the assaulters.

In a series of yells of fright and desperate attacks, part of the demons flew at the sight of the Halliwells. Others, either the bluntest, or the stupidest, jumped in into the fight, sending fire and energy balls.

The sisters and college friends retaliated, sending potions, waving arms and flicking fingers. One particular demon was quick enough to telekinetically fling the blue killing liquid coming his way back to the Charmed Ones. But Piper lifted her hands, blasting the potion in mid-flight. Half-expectedly, when the vial blew up, it freed the explosive content and an excruciating flame roared toward Phoebe, who ducked just in time. The demon that was ready to attack her from behind had no such luck, though, and he was vanquished before he knew it.

A series of potions thrown and fingers flicked later, all that remained of the demons were ashes and a few athamés, claws, or horns. The Charmed sisters turned as one towards the young witches, like a pack of hungry hyenas.

Piper walked up to Billie and slapped her, leaving a red five-fingered mark on her cheek. "The next time you flee like that, I blow you up. We have my husband to find, and your sister to vanquish. We need all the help we can gather. 'Cause you certainly can't vanquish the Source all by yourself, not with that projection of yours gone. Our troops need to be united. Any more childish game like that and I'll make sure all you ever do again is mortal stuff. Got it?"

Billie stood there, aghast. Piper was being a mother with her. And from the look on her sisters' faces, they were proud of it.


	14. What You Think

**Chapter Fourteen: What You Think**

"So you're a wizard? – oh, wait, I think they call them witches, too," asked the girl, sitting on the couch, with the old man next to her.

"Well, looks like ironically, losing me eyesight gave me insight into people's minds."

"So, you know what I feel right now?" She looked up at him, a bit uneasy.

"Nope," he shook his head, "only what yeh're thinkin'."

"Oooh."

The girl blushed and the old man looked sideways at her. "Still hearin' everythin'," he said casually. He then laughed. "It's OK, don't call yerself stupid for tha', I'm as new as yeh in all this, demons and all. So, what's _yer_ story, by the way?" He smiled gently.

She shrugged. "I was a perfectly normal girl studying geography until this angel woman-thing came and made me a witch, or so she said."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Talked about genes and stuff I know nothing about. And your friend – Mr. Brooks, is _he_ a witch?"

The sudden change of subject took Amos a bit by surprise. "Brooks?" He laughed, "he's no witch, he's just a dork! And he's not my friend," he added gloomily.

"O–K," Taylor answered, dividing the syllables.

They were sat near a table newly-turned back on its legs. The rest of Magic School, though, still lay bearing the damages of demons of sorts that had taken over the whole last year. They were pondering their own thoughts in silence – well, both trying to keep Taylor's for herself – until Phoebe and Billie arrived.

The mere sight of the Hall desolated Phoebe, but they had no time for that matter at the moment. For now, she was arguing with Billie as they walked down the rest of the corridor reached the Great Hall.

"Why are we here again?" asked the blonde witch bluntly. "Are we _that_ willing to be killed that we come in Demonville II?"

Phoebe sighed. "We're here because we need the resources," she explained, "Paige is on the lookout to orb us at the slightest danger."

"And _where_ is she?" Billie pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, and sinking into another couch.

"She's at the manor with Piper, looking through the _Book_. They're not coming here with it because of the reasons you mentioned: we can't allow Christy to get _that_ one. It's safer at the manor."

"Right. Because Piper's weak state isn't gonna make the _Book_'s shield weaker, then certainly _not_ allowing any evil powerful enough – I name, Christy – to take it from two little witches –"

Phoebe looked up from the book she had brought with her and was now skimming through, sitting opposite Billie. "Why are you ever so determined not to be here?"

"She thinks the place is too dangerous, too evil for us to stay here." Amos and Taylor looked at her.


	15. The Joy of Researchood

**Chapter Fifteen: The Joy of Researchhood**

"I would be _ever so_ thankful if you kept your mind out of mine," Billie hissed at Amos's attention.

He shrugged. "Not me fault it's screamin' so much I can barely _think_ for meself."

Phoebe took the opportunity that was offered to her. She clapped her hands together, then on her kneecaps, where she let them rest. "_Exactly_ why we're here. We'll be teaching those two – (she points at Taylor and Amos) – to use their powers."

"We?" Billie hooked an eyebrow.

"Well, being all-too familiar with the things of the mind, I can help Amos and his telepathy. Also, Taylor's clairvoyance shouldn't be hard for me to deal with. However, there's only so far I can help. Taylor's sonic wave or whatever, I have no idea how to trigger. Hence the books." She tapped once and hard on the pile of books that lay on the table between them.

Billie stared at them then back at Phoebe, a look of dread on her face. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" She jumped on the couch, her legs now tucked underneath her bottom, her back straight in her protest. She shook her head vividly. "You know perfectly well that I'm not one for books!"

Phoebe brought her same hand to her heart, falsely apologetic. "I'm so sorry -" (she regained a sterner look) "– but I don't care. You will also be looking for a Hosea line of witches. If Amos's grandmother had powers, she must be listed somewhere. That and the fact the name seems to ring a bell.

"See!" Billie was losing all hopes! "_You're_ familiar with the name, _I _am not; you'll have more chance at finding it – somewhere," she added, looking at the books everywhere around them.

Phoebe gave her a look and handed her a strange cross, which Billie recognized as the one Amos wore, the one said to have saved him from Christy. She looked from the old man to the talisman, wondering how something so small could wield such power.

"You will also look that up." She had had so much trouble to get it off Amos's neck that she could not let Billie ruin everything. He had finally begrudgingly left it to her when he had understood the importance of such knowledge as the provenance of the charm, but he still looked at Billie's hand (the one holding the cross) with narrowed eyes.

"I am not an encyclopedia writer," Billie hissed. She meanly added, "And what are Paige and Piper doing exactly?"

"Same as you, except trying to find Leo with our _Book_. Now, please, stop arguing and being annoying or we'll never teach these two anything." At the mention of 'these two', Phoebe nonchalantly waved her hand towards Amos and Taylor.

Billie's lips thinned as she grabbed the closest book ragefully.


	16. It's All About Christy

**Chapter Sixteen: It's All About Christy**

"Billie?" Billie looked up from the book she was perusing, Phoebe was staring at her dreamily, like she had been doing for quite some time now. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked distractedly.

"Sure," Billie replied, hesitant. They stood up and walked at a distance from the other two. "So, what's it?" the blonde asked expectantly.

"Was going to ask you the same thing," Phoebe replied, now fully focused on Billie while leaning against the leg of an upturned table.

"Huh, sorry?" Billie didn't understand.

"What is it with you and the School? I've seen you, Billie, looking up every so and then like expecting a demon to pop up."

"Like I don't have good reasons!" Billie defended herself.

Phoebe shook her head lightly, "That's not the point, honey."

"She thinks the place is innerly evil and is gonna turns us all."

Phoebe and Billie both turned toward Amos, now standing by them.

"I would so love it if I were shielded from you too!" Billie hissed, narrowing her eyes.

Phoebe nodded at the old man, "At least one of us can still read her."

Amos snorted, "Yer, but she's no piece o' cake, her mind's screamin' like a sucklin' babe!"

Billie waved her hands, calling for attention, "Hey-ho, still in the room, here!"

Phoebe brought her focus back on her, clearly thinking. After a few seconds, her eyes regained their full attention. She sought for Billie's. "Billie, what's with the fearful act? The Billie I know would not be afraid of –" she trailed off, understanding filling her traits. She nodded once, closing her eyes. Turning to him, she called, "Amos, could you go back with Taylor and makes sure she's studying and not doing some Sudoku or the like?"

Billie couldn't help but sneer as Amos turned his back on them, that would totally be Taylor. But her happiness was quick-gone when Phoebe took Billie's arm, bringing her back in the present, and leading her a bit further, near the windows, out of earshot.

"Billie, you have to understand Christy's –" (Billie looked away at the name) "– evilness has nothing to with this School." Phoebe tried to have Billie look back at her by tilting her head sideways. "She was brainwashed long before she set foot in here, when this place was still glorious and damn good."

Billie sighed, tears were pearling at the corner of her eyes as she looked back up at Phoebe, "I know, I know! I just can't shake the feeling that it's when we started gathering here that – that it began." She wiped away at her eyes with the back of her forearm then sighed, squaring her shoulders. "I'd really rather not talk about that anymore." Her tone was unreadable.

Phoebe nodded, sighing. "If you're sure. Just know we're here, OK?"

Billie nodded back, "I'll be right back – bathroom, she explained." Phoebe smiled and went back to her "students" as Billie left the room. After walking down the hallway a few seconds, she reached a door that she opened, peering in at the blackness and the white, round altar stone set in its middle. "Christy," she whispered, a tear finally rolling down her cheek.

**xxx**

Hecate, as she called herself, smiled evilly at the demon bowing and kneeling before her.

"You have brought with you important information, your insult from earlier shall be forgotten."

"Th-thank you, Mistress," stuttered the demon, not daring to lock eyes with her, staring at the pebbled ground.

"Leave now, and be ready for my calling you anytime."

He shimmered out and The Source suddenly burst out laughing at one particular, her head tilted backwards, her throat pouncing under her evil hilarity.


	17. Analepsis

**Chapter Seventeen: Analepsis**

Phoebe, Taylor and Amos sat on couches, the Charmed One talking to the young girl for the moment, "You'll be lucky if you can manage to force a premonition to you. I myself only could trigger them with a potion and I'd rather warn you against that since it could be viewed as personal gain.

Amos interrupted, "What's personal gain?"

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow towards Taylor, who answered, smiling, "It's when a witch uses his or her magic for their own purpose when he or she should be out helping innocents."

"Oh."

On another couch, Billie was lying, fast asleep on the book she was previously reading.

_Christy, since he's just a human at first sight and defied her, will try to kill him at all cost?_

_The fair, Billie stood in front of Leo, surrounded by demons, and Christy._

"_Let it be, Billie," Christy said sweetly, stepping forward. "This is all for you, sis," she pointed at the demon, at Leo._

_Both he and Billie looked at one another, dumbstruck. Christy rolled her eyes. "With the _Grimoire_, I can take out the three bitches and make you see the light!_

_The scene changed in a blur, "I want you, Billie." Billie, surrounded by the other four on the Andes mountain top, waved at Christy, sending her flying backwards. The Source laughed and flamed out before hitting the white wall of the temple._

_She reappeared with a pack of demons. "Attack," she ordered, pointing at the witches._

_The fight went on and on, Christy watching it and sometimes intervening to give her minions the upper hand and wait for the opportunity to catch Billie by surprise._

"_Volcano!" The Source was engulfed by revolving blue orbs and disappeared against her will. Paige, panting, fell on her knees in the snow._

_Phoebe was kicked in the back by a demon and cut her wrist on an athamé that lay forgotten on the white ground._

_Billie turned around at the witch's cry of pain. _

"Phoebe!" She bolted upright, panting.

"Hey, hey, it's OK." Phoebe was at her side in a heartbeat, patting her on the back. "It was just a nightmare." She stroked her blonde hair and smiled gently as the young witch looked up.

"Sorry I fell asleep."

Phoebe shook her head. "Don't, if I had wanted you awake, I'd have called you; you needed some rest." Billie was staring at the now-fully healed wrist that Phoebe had had cut. "Are you sure you're alright?" Phoebe wondered, worried.

Billie nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." She straightened up. The left side of her face was red from having slept on the book she was busy with. "I found something before I drifted off."

"What?" Phoebe brought a lock of hair behind her ear as she bent forward to read the entry Billie was pointing at.

Billie started reading from memory, "The Hosea are an old family of witches who lost their views in the past – they stopped vanquishing demons, exiling themselves, and became more like their village's magic tricksters and healers. That's the last we've heard of them," she concluded.

Phoebe looked at Amos, he had obviously never hear his family's story, from the look on his face – bewilderment and something akin to … shame?


	18. The Command

**Chapter Eighteen: The Command, the Cross and the Call**

In the Underworld, Hecate's order to her minion was clear, "Get that doctor friend of the Charmed Ones – That way, they'll know no one is safe, not even their closed ones."

Her eyes flashed flames as she skimmed through the _Grimoire_.

"I will have to rip them all open but then I can let you imagine what that'll do to my army." Her eyes flickered.

**xxx**

"I also found the cross," Billie beamed.

"See?" Phoebe joked. "You're good at research."

Billie sniffed and turned back to the book. "The Cross of Hosea: A highly protective symbol, the talisman of which was first witnessed in the hands of the Prophet Hosea, who had just envisioned the death of his family in his prophetic dreams. Some believe he based its forging from a now-long lost book of spells, while others suppose he made it up himself, having maybe seen its properties in another of his visions. For centuries, there have even been people linking the Cross, wrongly or not, to their favorite God or Goddess, what is sure, though, is the strength of such a sign – not only as a talisman but also drawn on doors and walls –, which should be able to repel any low- and medium-level evil, as well as a majority of high-level ones. As for the Source of All Evil, no record has been made up until now of one facing the Symbol."

"Well, now there is," Phoebe said casually.

**xxx**

Piper was making potions on the short-legged table, Paige perusing the antique green-leathered tome that were part of their legacy. Piper's cell phone suddenly went off, startling them both – the two were concentrated a great deal.

Piper retrieved the mobile from her pocket and, opening the lid, directly put it at her ear. "Hello?"

"Piper, Piper Halliwell?" the voice on the other end of the receiver, that of a woman, was panicked, clearly panting.

"Yes, it's me," Piper quickly replied.

But the only response was a "Aaaaaaaagghhh!" The yell was so intense it nearly blew up Piper's eardrum and Paige looked up, having heard it as well. Both sisters were panicked, staring at each other as the dialing tone from having been hanged up resounded in the silent room.

Piper looked down at the screen, only checking now the caller ID. "Ava," she whispered, worried.


	19. The Eye Has It

**Chapter Nineteen: The Eye Has It**

The back of a lithe-fingered hand trailed across the wooden surface of a small cabinet. Several items were scattered, upturned, all over it.

"So?" asked her sister's worried voice.

Phoebe shook her head, denying any possible vision she might have had. She sighed and looked round to the others. Piper had Paige's arms circling her head as the eldest Halliwell's breath came out harshly.

"We – need to –"

"– leave," finished Taylor as she, Billie and Amos came in, stepping over and around some more mess – the flat they were in, although having been once clearly richly furnished from the looks of it, was now an utter wreck – the way they had found Ava Shuvani's place when they had all gathered here after the worrying call Piper had received.

Paige looked at her, quietly inquiring.

"I've had a flash," Taylor explained, walking over the pieces of a broken, fine vase. "Cop are gonna come rushing through this door quick enough."

"Alright, let's go." Piper sighed, deceived. "I don't wanna lose you guys as well." She couldn't bear any new loss. Besides, her friend was in danger, they had to do something and getting caught would not be of any help anyway. "Pheebs, grab something – anything – for scrying or something."

Paige patted her big sister's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, if there's a new Gypsy demon in town, we'll get them just like we did the last one."

To everyone's surprise, it was Billie who answered. "I don't think this has anything to do with her being a Gypsy." They turned to her as she wearily looked about the mess. She soon realized she had spoken aloud as she noticed everyone's looks on her and smiled a guilty smile.

Phoebe smiled back, a bit more warmly. "We can't blame every mishap on Christy without some sort of proof, however we hate that." Billie's smile got a little more heartfelt. "Here." Phoebe spotted a gleam and bent down, stating, "I think I just found the perfect scrying tool."

She showed the others the pendant that hung from the black thread the was holding. A long vertical line leading to a short cross at the top, with what resembled an eye beneath the intersection. The Evil Eye.

"Waffediyok," Phoebe whispered, her free hand reaching for the talisman. And as if the world itself held some power, like a chant – or maybe was it the pendant itself –, the moment Phoebe's skin brushed the dark metal, she was pulled into a premonition.


	20. Getting the Tint

**Chapter Twenty: Getting the Tint**

The rays of the setting sun were not enough to repel much of the dark that had settled into Magic School for the past year and a half. Still, Amos, Billie and Taylor were back to work on their powers and fighting techniques.

The young blonde was at a high table, tossing ingredients in a boiling cauldron; her friends both had their eyes closed, their forehead creased by their deep concentration.

Taylor was focusing on the flopping sounds of Billie's ingredients dropping into the potion. In her mind's eye, she managed to see what exactly Billie was tossing in it before she actually did, whispering each new ingredient under her breath. Taylor saw the brew explode and spoke aloud this time. "_Whoosh_," she said, just as the potion exploded. She opened her eyes, grinning.

Billie turned to her, one eyebrow cocked. "Did you see that happening?" she asked.

Taylor nodded fervently. "Clear as water." Then some of her high dissolved. "Not that it was not obvious it would happen," she replied dejectedly. "Potions explode, that's what they do."

"Still," Billie cheered her up. "Pretty amazing, T." She winked at her. "Amos?" she inquired, wanting to know how good he had done. She was a little bit put off by the total lack of reaction in their new friend's demeanor.

"Dragon seeds fer distance an' powdered ruby fer the fun," the old man answered, opening his eyes as well. "Missed the beginning o' the recipe," he added sheepishly.

Amos looked at Taylor, then back. "What did you mean, 'powdered ruby for the fun'?" she asked.

Billie grinned sheepishly. She poured some of the potion she had just concocted into a vial and threw it at the floor. It shattered and a _red_ cloud blew out of it, taking Billie along as it retreated within the floorboards. The blonde witch reappeared in the same fashion on the other side of the table.

"I found the red tint catchier," she said with a blush.

Taylor burst into laughter. "To say the least."

Their moment was interrupted by Amos, a new frown dimpling his aged forehead. "Any o' yeh seen Brooks?"


	21. With a Shuvani on Top

**Chapter Twenty-One: With a Shuvani on Top**

The tension in the attic of Halliwell Manor was palpable even to the mortal senses. Piper shoved the cover of the _Book of Shadows_ shut, unnerved that it would try to distract them at a time like this – it kept opening to the entry about the Nexus.

"Piper," Phoebe said gently, well aware of the frustration, tinged with fear, of her older sister. "We'll find something."

Paige crossed the room and peered out the high, stained windows at the slowly setting sun. "It's been a week, and still we have heard nothing of it. Phoebe, are you sure -?"

Phoebe nodded grimly, "Date's today."

"You really can't see anything else, can you?" Piper asked.

The Empath winced at the reminder. "Except for Ava murdering all those people, Gypsy style, from today on? No, I can't. How this can be, I have no idea, but I can tell you my private channel is totally awry on the subject. Still, we've done pretty good without any visions before."

Piper nodded, even though the news were not joyful. She hid her face in her hands, allowing the _Book _to open of its own volition on "The Nexus" once more. She heard the shuffling of pages and her bellow came out muffled by her palms, "Oh, for Christ's sake!"

Afraid of what she might eventually do to the antique heirloom, Piper headed for the other corner of the room; Phoebe followed.

"Honey, none of us is happy about the possibility that we might need to vanquish her. Paige and I both know how she's helped you with your first pregnancy."

"I always thought the _Evil_ Eye was called that way for a reason," Paige said. "Guess it got to her head, like most evil powers do."

Paige stopped her banter at a look from Phoebe. Piper snorted and pointed at the dismissed crystal and map on the short-legged table. "Before we can kill her, we need to find her."

Paige, now silently gazing out again, suddenly fidgeted. "We don't need to worry about that anymore." Her blank tone alarmed her sisters. They joined her at the window.

Ava, her eyes green and her stance proud and dangerous, somewhat evil, advanced at a casual pace in the twilight.

"Gee, like we don't have enough on our plate already, now we have to deal with a crazy Shuvani on top," Paige mumbled.

As if she had heard her, Ava looked to the side. A neighbor was getting his garbage bag out. Two green rays shot out of the Gypsy's eyes and hit the man square in the chest, piercing gaping holes in their wake. He dropped dead, his eyes popping out of their sockets in shock.

"Oh, my God." The three sisters' faces turned deadly pale.


	22. The King of Thieves

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The King of Thieves**

The Charmed Ones reached the first floor just as two deadly, green rays pulverized the ancient entrance doors.

The girls unconsciously cringed at the loss but their minds were instantly brought back to the matter at hand when Ava Nicolai, their five-years friend, stepped through the dust and destroyed frame – the only remainder of the once grand doors.

"Ava, please," Piper begged, raising a hand helplessly toward the midwife who had helped her through a pregnancy she had believed she could never be blessed with.

A deadly jet pierced the air and would have done Piper's hand, if not for Billie, who repelled the attack with her own hand, palm toward Ava.

The green current crashed into the banister, leaving a hole.

Piper turned her head long enough to see the blonde witch and her two friends. "Leave this to us," she couldn't help to command, already turned back to the Gypsy woman.

"You're welcome," Billie grumbled heading for the stairs, Taylor and Amos in tow. She could hear Phoebe whisper, "Piper, careful. There's something off here; I don't think this is truly her."

"It's no time for guesses, Pheebs," Paige replied.

Billie couldn't hear the rest as she jogged up the steps, her friends following.

As she quickly crossed the second floor hallway, a very distinct thud that had nothing to do with the fight downstairs halted her course. The others mimicked her. She closed her eyes, focusing her hearing, and there, over the sizzling of air as more green rays were launched and furniture was broken, she heard footsteps, then another thud, from _upstairs_.

The three's puzzled eyes met. A muffled triumphant cry resounded then. Billie resumed her course, this time at an advanced run.

Opening the attic door with her power, Billie raced in just in time to see Brooks tear a page from the obviously very reluctant _Book of Shadows_ – it glowed a fierce golden hue. Brooks' face was blissful, although contorted in pain; the book was definitely trying to defend itself.

"Couldn' help yerself, could yeh?" Amos hissed at his old-time friend and foe. "Thiev'ry's yer secon' skin, innit?"

Everything happened in a heartbeat. Amos pulled an athamé from his belt and threw it; Brooks swiftly caught it in mid-course; he smirked and slit his own throat open. As blood oozed, Brooks' body collapsed to the floor, another figure remaining behind on his steak.

Donned in black from head to toe, his skin an olive tinge, the Possessor demon still wore the mocking smirk he had forced onto Brooks' face, and carried the _Book_ he had caught with Brooks' hands.

Taylor gasped. She tried to run forward but Billie caught her arm and restrained her.

From the corner of her eyes, Billie saw Amos clench his teeth and narrow his eyes. She knew he was using his telepathy to do something on the demon. Well, she might as well not stand there and do nothing herself, she thought.

She TK'ed the _Book_ and the torn page out of his clutches and recognized the thud the volume made when it landed on the floor: so it had put up a fight.

A gasp startled her. She turned and saw Amos falling, unconscious, behind her. The Possessor's smirk grew. He flicked his middle finger and his thumb together and the torn page flew in between the two.

"I don't think so," Billie growled, pushing him in a wall. Instantly, the whole house shook, as though the blow had been ten times stronger than it actually were. _Must be a hell of a fight, downstairs_, she thought. Still the idea that her power could have done that made her shiver on the spot where she had fallen from the quake.

"No you don't!" she heard Taylor screech not far away. But the energy wave that shot through the attic only met thin air – and eventually the wall, which blew up in scattered splinters. The Possessor had shimmered out with the page.


	23. Déjà Vu

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Déjà Vu**

"Come – on, wake the hell up!" Billie hissed as she slapped non-too-gently Amos on the cheeks.

Taylor looked up from Brooks' side, her face sorrowful. "He's dead," she said in a weak voice.

She knew she was being stupid, because Brooks couldn't be held responsible for a demon's deeds, but Billie just wouldn't agree to be the one to check on him, her mind screeching "Traitor" in an unpleasant way every time her gaze fell on him.

Something clicked then and she remembered Phoebe's words from mere minutes before. Giving up her new friend, she stood up with a bit of telekinesis in order to save time, and rushed to the shelves near the fresh hole in the attic wall. She rummaged through the potions, grateful to whoever was up there that Taylor had not blown the piece of furniture too.

Taylor, as it was, was frowning suspiciously at her but Billie ignored the brunette until she found her quarry. Then she simply stalked out of the room with a quick "Be right back."

Unaffected by the incredulity on the face of her friend, Billie ran back down to the fight still going on, hoping against all odds that _those_ friends of hers were in better shape than the ones upstairs.

As she stomped down the last few steps, she saw that The Charmed Ones were in even worse state; they were separated. Phoebe crouched at the base of the stairs, Piper stood in the living room, and Paige in the solarium; Ava the Gypsy was in the parlor. All of them were hiding behind the furniture.

At that moment, Piper came out of her hideout, hands at the ready.

"Piper, don't! It's a set-up!"

Piper's eyes widened and she redirected the blow she had aimed at Ava; the mirror in the corner ended up in a showed of glistening shards.

Billie didn't stop to think a plan through: she acted on instinct. "Phoebe," she shouted, attracting both the witch and the enemy's attention. Not waiting even to hope that Phoebe would get the clue, Billie threw the potion in her hand.

She watched as, like in slow motion, the vial swirled around itself, its content moving along with the rotation. Two green rays took it as a target.

But Phoebe _had_ gotten the hind and she used her empathy to channel the power to repel the green death rays. The potion whirled on safely ad his the real target: Ava. More accurately: the _demon_ that was possessing her and now stood, teeth bared, where the Gypsy's body had been before it fell, unconscious – a perfect parody of Brooks, except for the potion's volutes still hanging in the air.

Billie TK'ed the Possessor into the wall behind, calling for Piper. The eldest Halliwell greedily flicked her wrists forward, reducing the demon to a cloud of black particles.

Done, she rushed at Ava's side, taking her head into her lap, trying to awake her in a much more gentle manner than Billie had Amos. Her sisters soon gathered around her, Paige scanning the Gypsy's body with her healing light.

Ava's eyes shot open and widened to the size of saucers as memories flooded her mind. "Oh, dear God," she breathed, sitting up.

"Easy," Piper said softly, bringing her into a hug. "It's OK, Ava. You're OK." Looking up at Billie, stayed by the stairs, she mouthed the words "Thank you."

Billie's lips stretched into a thin smile.

Tears welled up into Ava's eyes. After a time, she whispered, "No, I'm not. Neither is it every going to be. I have killed people." The tears rolled down her cheeks.


	24. Progress in Darkness

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Progress in Darkness**

"You did surprisingly well," Hecate purred, barely glancing the kneeling demon's way – all eyes for the yellowish, painted page in her hand. "Better than I expected, actually."

She deigned sparing him a look then, and that made the Possessor's day – the smile could not be mistaken. Not feeling generous anymore, she perused the page again, the faint light no bother at all for her dark-accustomed eyes.

"Very well indeed," she couldn't help from adding, a smirked spreading on her own lips.

She tried to reign in the bliss that was taking over her. Nothing was certain yet. The Charmed Ones weren't outnumbered at the moment. _At the moment._

She straightened in her throne, schooling her expression. "The mission was a success, even though your brother expectedly perished. Gather your men and take them _there_," she ordered, handing him the page back.

"As you command, my Lady." The Possessor bowed and shimmered out with the entry from the _Book of Shadows_.

The last remnants of his shimmering were barely gone that flames rose up from the floor. As they extinguished they revealed another demon. He bowed at once. "You have called, Mistress?"

"Time is up," she replied. "Take the potion and spread it."

"But the tests –" the demon began to argue.

Flames literally slicked the blackness of her eyes. "The tests are sufficient. We only need them to be distracted long enough to strike. Don't you dare challenge my orders again."

"I meant no disrespect, Mistress," the demon quickly blobbed out, getting on his knees.

"Then what in all that's evil are you still doing here?" Hecate's voice was like an erupting volcano. The demon hurried to shimmer out, no longer being force-flamed.


	25. Missing

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Missing **

"Here." Paige put the mug of chamomile tea into Ava's hands, where it remained for long, stared at though not seen.

Phoebe went behind the distressed Gypsy and attached her heirloom necklace back around her neck where it belonged: the Waffediyok.

This seemingly brought back some life into Ava, although not for the better. She unclasped a hand from the hot mug to grab at the pendant instead, fresh tears swelling her eyes.

"I am no longer worthy of this. All my life –" her voice broke. She choked on the next words and sank back into silent staring.

Piper grabbed both her shoulders, fiercely but with obvious tenderness. "Ava. You can't be held responsible for that demon's actions."

Blankly, Ava stared at her. Her fingers finally let go of the Evil Eye. "It is my body, my _powers_, what did those horrors. The Evil Eye is now officially an evil force."

That did it. Piper slapped her. Billie, Phoebe, Paige, Taylor and Amos all gawked. Shock rippled through Ava.

"I won't have you give up! Not after everything we went through to make you accept your magic. Ava, we need you. The ones who did this to you, they won't stop there. They won't stop until we're all dead."

Ava gulped air. "You know who did this to me?"

"We have a fair guess," Billie replied.

"Billie," Phoebe warned, "let's not jump to conclusions."

Billie looked at her, radiating arrogance. "Don't get me started, Phoebe. As much as _you'd_ like not to blame it on her, we can't just turn a blind eye to the obvious!"

Phoebe sighed, turned to Ava. "Do you remember anything, besides –" she couldn't bring herself to say "the killings."

"I –" Ava trailed off, concentrating. "I'm not sure."

"Try," Piper encouraged her resting a gentle hand on her arm. "Sorry for the –"

Ava shook her head. "No Piper. I'm the one apologizing. There's more at stake than my self-pity."

Billie leaned toward Paige. "Found something?"

"No," Paige hissed frustrated; she Paige didn't look up from her frantic skimming of the _Book_ to try and find what page was missing.

"Hand it over," Phoebe suggested, wriggling her fingers twice to indicate she would try herself.

"You think maybe he'll know?" Taylor asked, jerking her head toward the still out-of-it Brooks.

Paige shook her head. "Mortals usually forget everything related to possession once they're freed, kind of a self-preservation of their mind, I guess."

Phoebe's search suddenly slowed and she even looked a few pages back. "It won't be necessary anyway." Her face was grim.

"What did he take?" Piper asked, anxious.

Phoebe answer with but one word, "Nexus."


	26. The Link

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Link**

"The Nexus," Piper repeated. "This is insane."

"Hang on," Billie interrupted. "Why would she need that page? Didn't you guys like banish that thing for good a year ago?"

"The one under our basement, yes," Phoebe explained.

"But there are more," Piper went on.

"Still, what would she need them for?" Taylor was way past overwhelmed.

"Except give the spread of evil a good boost?" Piper asked rhetorically. "That entry listed all the hotspots, for safety measure."

Billie, Amos and Taylor stared.

Paige clasped her hands together. "OK, guesswork doesn't help. Ava," she turned to her, "I'm sorry to push you, but we really need to know what happened during that week you disappeared."

Ava nodded. She knew she was the key to this mystery. She closed her eyes but everything she remembered was a blur. She bent forward and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I can't."

Piper patted her knee reassuringly. "It's OK, sweetie." She turned to Phoebe and her tone was a bit sterner, "Can't you see anything yourself? And you?" – this was addressed to Taylor – "what's the use of having you made a witch if you can't help?"

"Piper!" Phoebe chided her.

None of them saw Ava's eyes pop open at Piper's last words. The blurriness was gone; now she remembered. "Witches," she murmured.

Everyone heard her and six sets of questioning eyes bore into the Gypsy. Ava straightened up, dropping her hands. A new light shone her eyes, the gleam of knowledge and determination. "Witches!" she repeated with more strength. Her own gaze pierced each of the present people's, who were beginning to feel a bit offended by the apostrophe. Ava's eyes lingered on Taylor as she spoke, "You were not born a witch, were you?"

Taylor's eyes widened and she shook her head for an answer. Ava nodded, turning to the others again while she explained, "This demon, a brunette with black eyes –"

"Christy," Billie somberly interrupted, casting an 'I-told-you-so' look at Phoebe.

"Well, this Christy, she had me do experiments."

They all frowned. Piper was the one to ask, "Experiments? On what?"

"Witch genes."

The frowns deepened; she had lost them.

"She wanted me to isolate the gene that made witches exactly what they were. Try to see how it was active in certain people, and not in others. The she had me design a way to awaken what I called the 'lazy w-gene'."

"Madge's breath!" Amos cussed. He was ahead of the conversation, having followed Ava's train of thoughts through her very mind before she spoke any of it. "Tha' crazy girl wan's ter turn people inter witches! Turn _everyone!_" he explained at the staring audience.

There stares lingered. Taylor squeaked, becoming the center of attention of the six others. "Imagine a world full of witches – all turned evil by the Nexuses."


	27. Finding All the Elements

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Finding All the Elements**

The attic was crowded with the working witches; Billie, Phoebe and Paige were at the lectern sporting the _Book of Shadows_, copying down spells and inventing others, and Piper, Taylor, Amos and Ava were busy with potions and charms at the table. There was no trace of Brooks' corpse or blood.

"What we need first," Piper was saying, tossing a mandrake root in her vanquishing brew, "is a way to close all the Nexuses at the same time. I doubt she'll just watch and do nothing while we try and thwart her plans." Everyone know who 'she' was. "And we can't expect to banish them all –"

"You're sure about that?" Phoebe asked, looking up.

"Well, as I said, Christy won't just stand back, and we can't possibly be at so many different places at the same time. The first objective is to control the spread of evil by closing them, instead of wasting energy _trying_ to banish entities that actually aren't either good or evil."

"Alright," Paige said. "I'll get a closing spell. Someone tries to find a way to put back the witch gene to slumber, or whatever. Ava?" Ava looked up. She nodded her assent to help.

"I'll do," Billie interrupted, going over to the Gypsy. "My sister's sick, letting loose smugglers and murderers and who knows what else, and giving them powers." She clenched her teeth.

"Took you long enough to realize," Piper said casually. There was no meanness intended, only statement of facts.

Billie's jaw loosened and a small smile took over the pursed lips.

Piper's potion exploded. She bottled it up then produced her cell phone from her pocket. "I'm gonna call Dad. I –" she trailed off. All knew she needed news from her sons. "Taylor, can you get me some more water and put it on to boil, please?"

"Sure." As she reached for the crucible, Taylor's eyes suddenly bulged out as realization struck her. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

The others looked round at her. Her skin darkened even more under her blush at being in the spotlight.

"What's up, Tay?" Billie asked.

"You guys told me the – the Nexus things are created when the five spiritual elements are located at equidistant spots from a central one, right?"

"Yes," Phoebe answered, her tone pressing her on.

Taylor's voice took on a high-pitched note beneath such scrutiny. "What if we used them as well to close the Nexu-" she hesitated: "Nexi? Nexuses?"

Phoebe's gaze grew distant as she pondered the idea. "The Equator. Five of us should stand on it." She snapped out of it and went to her bag, sitting on the couch. She took out her laptop and turned it on. Getting on the Internet, she Googled for a map of the world.

"Well, we won't have a problem with finding a 'water spot'," Paige joked.

Billie and Taylor smiled slightly, but the others remained grave.


	28. Syncing

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Syncing**

Piper stepped back into the attic, having finally made her phone call. "Dad's bringing Wyatt."

Everyone looked up from what they were doing to stare at her in disbelief. "You think that's safe, honey?" Paige asked.

"You don't understand," Phoebe said sadly. "She didn't ask for him to be brought to safety. She intends to use his power."

Paige looked intently at Piper, who nodded grimly. "Paige, don't judge me. You know I would rather have him sent to another world for his sake than to have to use him in battle. But we must. We can't face a wordful of witches all by ourselves. He's Twice-Blessed, and he is the Wielder of Excalibur. He can help."

Paige and Phoebe sighed as they nodded. Everyone went back to their duty. Piper stared at her cell phone for a time, still cursing herself for what she had just done.

"OK," Phoebe said, "I have found the five spots we'll need to stand on." She looked up. "Paige, can you pin-point-orb us to the exact locations?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "Phoebe, however slim you are, you're not exactly a nail nor do you fill only one coordinate so I think it's safe to say there won't be a problem with that."

"But there _will_ be problems," a voice suddenly chastened her. An Elder in golden robes orbed in. "A ritual calling for the five elements that make a Nexus is a smart idea," he nodded once in Taylor's direction, "however you will need … _magnets_ to draw on your spell and encompass the whole planet for your chants to take effect."

"The poles." Everyone looked back at Phoebe, whose eyes were back on the world map on her screen.

"One more thing." The eyes turned to the Elder once more. "You will need to remain connected as one, to … _sync_ the spell."

"But Billie's protected from my em—" Phoebe trailed off and finished her sentence slowly, "—pathy. Amos," she added in a whisper."


	29. Forsaking the Sisters

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Forsaking the Sisters**

The silence stretched on awkwardly. The Elder smoothed the front of his robes. "Well, I have to be on my way."

"Aren't you going to help us?" Paige demanded. "With all the magic you have at your disposal?"

The Elder shook his head negatively. "We can't risk any more exposure than what Christy already put magic through."

"Are you kidding?" Billie exclaimed. "You really think you'll be safe on your white cloud once we're out of the way?"

"Yes, he does," Phoebe replied dryly, reading his feelings.

"They believe Christy's only after the sisters an' you, Billie," Amos explained, reading the Elder's thoughts. "Nobody will come to our help. There is a ban on magical creatures appearing in public or anywhere near us."

Ava was looking at Piper, whose mind clearly was elsewhere. She didn't need the eldest Halliwell to speak her question to know exactly where to. "Leo?" Piper merely asked, her blank eyes on the Elder.

He shook his head, his gray-black shoulder-length hair brushing his shoulders. "We have no idea. And since he has no Whitelighter hooked to him, we can't be sure. Your sons would have better chances than us at locating him." He looked genuinely apologetic. But then he changed the subject, "You will need protection." His eyes held Amos's, then Billie's, before he orbed out with a "Good luck."

"Oh!" the blonde realized, going over to the male witch. Not asking permission, she dug her hand into the front of his shirt and tugged his pendant free, showing the Cross of Hosea for all to see. "That's what we need."

Billie fidgeted under the stares directed at her. She couldn't hold much longer. "What? Do you really think we would come to meet some random guy – no offense – who happened to receive powers the day we meet and actually wears some magical shielding pendant and that would all be a huge coincidence? Am I blonde or do I recall Paige telling me there was no such thing in our world?"

"Honey –" Phoebe began with a smirk, her arms around Piper's shoulders.

Billie lifted her hand to shush her. "That part was rhetorical."


	30. Going in Action

**Chapter Thirty: Going in Action**

It was as though the world was at its end; the Apocalypse had begun. Non-born witches were everywhere, wrecking havoc among the real demons and warlocks.

Billie and company were hiding in the basement, protected by both pyrate crystals and Crosses of Hosea drawn in clay.

"OK, let's get kicking some DIY-witch ass," Paige said grimly.

"First, we have to make sure Christy's out of the run", Billie intervened, just as somberly.

They all nodded, except for Piper, who was hugging Wyatt, her face buried in his hair.

"Don't worry, Piper. I promised I would protect him with my life," Ava coaxed her to lift her head.

"I know," Piper replied, whipping the silent tears with the back of her hand. To Wyatt, she said, "Be a good boy, OK, buddy? This is your chance to use all the magic you want."

Wyatt nodded, only too happy to oblige her for once, but his bliss tainted with the missing of his father and the distress of his mother. "It'll be OK, Mommy."

A sob finally got past Piper's self-control and she hugged him once more.

**xxx**

The orbs and cloud of smoke left the witches on top of the Golden Gate Bridge.

"Let's do this," Piper said, unfolding a piece of paper and holding it in front of herself for her sisters, perched behind her, to see. The others gathered around Billie's identical sheet. Wyatt was in Ava's arms.

"Magic forces black and white  
Reaching out through space and light;  
Listen to us, the witches' spell,  
Bring The Source straight from Hell."

Hecate, only known to them as Christy, appeared in a geyser of fire. Her anger flared at the untimely interruption. Taking in the witches, she growled, baring her teeth. "You dare?" She regained composure and smiled. "Hello Ava. It's been a long time. How are the eyes?"

Ava's temper had the better of her, and she sent two green rays at The Source. The currents of green death didn't even reach her; they were evaporated by the very flames of Hell that rose like a shield around their mistress.

"Well, your deaths will be all the more easy now that you've been foolish enough to get out of your rat holes."

"You wish," Billie said defiantly.

"Crystals!" Paige commanded, lifting a hand palm toward Hecate.

The crystals used for the Devil's Snare – or Crystal Cage – orbed around The Source, in a perfect Cross-of-Hosea pattern.

"Enjoy the view," Taylor said cockily as Billie dropped a new potion at their feet and Paige orbed The Charmed Ones out.

Hecate glowered at the crystals at her feet. She took a step forward, reaching over the line but a white current shocked her foot back. She snarled, hitting the barrier with both fists, getting electrocuted all the more.

She looked up at the sky and yelled, lifting her arms high above her, "My minions, heed me! Get the witches and kill them! They must _not_ achieve their ritual!" Her voice reverberated down to the passing bridge below and through the whole city. Angry growls answered her.


	31. The End?

**Chapter**** Thirty-One: The End?**

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Billie, and Taylor were meditating at their set spots on the equatorial line, each standing above a Cross of Hosea carefully designed with the same crystals that held The Source in check – a multiplication charm had been cast a few times to get the right amount of pyrate stones. The same went for Wyatt and Amos, both standing on each of the poles – the sole difference being that both boys were magically cold-proofed and that the toddler was held up in Ava's arms.

All around, the new, evil witches were gathering, along with demons and warlocks. As one, they fired: balls of all sorts – fire, energy, water, and a whole lot more – bolts of electricity, rocks, every magical attack possible was hurled at The Charmed Ones and their acolytes.

None hit home. All were repelled by the activation of the Crosses, which gleamed white and cast themselves upwards, shielding the benevolent witches. That, it seemed, awoke them. They opened their eyes, which mirrored the pureness of the light that protected them. At once, as if like clocks adjusted at the exact same time, their lips parted and they began their chant.

"Destiny drifting, magic gifts in human shells,  
All of it driving the world right to hell -"

The ray the crystals were emanating (a giant, white replica of the Cross) amplified and reached the sky.

The demons, seeing this, all left knowing their destiny was endangered. But the warlocks and the witches created by The Source all kept their grounds, hurling another blow of demonic powers at their enemy.

**xxx**

Hecate couldn't bear it, being trapped like livestock. She roared like a lion, threw herself at the magical cage like a bear. She was thrust backwards as soon as her skin met the invisible barrier – which actually became verily seeable at the blow, sending blue sparks all over the place.

"Enough!" she shouted, standing a lot quicker than any other demon would have, considering the might of the wallop.

She parted her arms from her body, palms open, fingers pointing at the ground. An evil current of black hue ran through her whole body, starting from the tip of her fingers.

"The Powers of All Evil harken  
For their Source to be set free –"

**xxx**

"We witches stand afar and yet chant as one  
To drain the unwanted from the Grand Design."

The magical white hues linked themselves high in the skies, creating a universal pentagram. Soon it extended to Wyatt and Amos, encircling the whole planet.

A woman-turned-witch grabbed a gun in her purse and shot. Billie got hit but the protection around made it hurt as much as a bee sting.

In a matter of seconds, the light the crystals emanated reached a point unbearable for the eyes to behold. It bathed the whole world and, as it vanished, taking with it all the evil and magic from those The Source had aimed at, the pyrate stones that were shielding the witches melted.

Billie instantly collapsed, no longer protected from the pain the bullet caused.

**xxx**

"Magical barrier, weaken!  
And melt away as it must be."

The Source's whole body was now black, her eyes but flames. The dark essence grew larger and larger, fighting the white one that was trapping her. As her own magic increased, Hecate rose a few inches in the air and the cage, that emitted its blue sparks as soon as the black hue reached it, soon disappeared.

The dark essence followed that fate, too, and the body of Christy fell back onto the ground. When she lifted her head, her eyes were brown, which had not happened in many days. Her voice, when she spoke, was also that of Christy's, panting, "Now, _I'm_ in charge."

**The End  
For Now**

* * *

**Ah! You thought that would be it, didn't you? Well, I _did_ promise you a few surprises. The biggest one, I guess, is that "Dystopia" has always been a trilogy in my head and so you're not done with my evil cliffhangers - lucky you's! Anyway, don't sweat it too much because Book 3 is all done as well so once I'm satisfied with a few well-deserved reviews (someone _had_ to throw me flowers, so why not myself? - jk!) I will upload it - yes, all in one go too! And I'll go so far as to promise not to make you guys wait two years! (Is one year acceptable? Mwhaha. 'Kay, I'm out.) Thanks again, for reading and for being here with me. I do hope you enjoyed the ride and we'll see each other for Book 3. :-)  
**


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